The Trinidad & Tobago Express published an article in the Business section highlighting the Ministry of Planning and Development’s decision to accept paperless applications in the North Regional Office of the Town and Country Planning Division from September 1st, 2020. See the full media release below.
The Honourable Camille Robinson-Regis, Minister of Planning and Development is happy to indicate that the decision of the Town and Country Planning Division (TCPD) to fully digitise is one of the Ministry of Planning and Development’s projects in fulfilment of the Government’s mandate to modernize and digitise this country’s Public Service.
The Government of Trinidad and Tobago has taken bold steps in the last five years to improve public sector services across the board. The upgrading of the TCPD will eliminate the public’s negative perception of the Division which include: delayed feedback for approval requests; loss of files; carrying excessive documents to a location.
“The September 1st announcement for the complete digitisation of the Chaguanas Borough Corporation, the Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation, portions of the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation and the remainder of the San Juan/Laventille Regional Corporation is another major achievement.”
The use of paper files will soon be greatly minimised through the use of TCPD’s DevelopTT system.
The Ministry of Planning and Development in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade and Industry have introduced the new automated construction permitting system for the TCPD: called DevelopTT. This platform is aimed at increasing citizens’ ease of conducting business by allowing applicants to submit information electronically; track the processing of their applications and receive decisions digitally within a short time frame.
Minister Robinson-Regis has emphasised that after initiating the actual design and development of DevelopTT, the platform is at a state of readiness for complete elimination of the archaic paper-based model of TCPD’s construction permitting applications. With the DevelopTT platform in tandem with other Government initiatives such as the Single Electronic Window (SEW), citizens will see an improvement in their ease of doing business.
Since April 2020, all planning permission applications for the Port of Spain City Corporation, the Diego Martin Regional Corporation and a portion of the San Juan Laventille Regional Corporation have been processed electronically. Hence, the September 1st announcement for the complete digitisation of the Chaguanas Borough Corporation, the Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation, portions of the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation and the remainder of the San Juan/Laventille Regional Corporation is another major achievement.
The roll out of the DevelopTT platform is a timely step, especially in the light of the current national conditions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. A fully paperless system will mitigate the need for physical visits and manual submission of planning permission applications and supporting documents to TCPD’s offices, thereby limiting exposure of staff and customers.
DevelopTT is a vital thrust towards moving the nation’s government services along a digitally transformed pathway. Citizens are urged to register via www.developtt.gov.tt or www.ttbizlink.gov.tt.
